Striker device for a motor vehicle door lock and a motor vehicle equipped with such striker device

Abstract

A striker device for a motor vehicle door lock having a striker and an element made of a plastic material and equipped with a plate, which is suitable for being placed against a wall of the motor vehicle and is coupled to the striker in fixed relative position; the element has a plurality of tongues, which protrude from the plate in the opposite direction to the striker and are arranged in positions so as to engage, in use, the edges of two apertures in the wall of the motor vehicle, to keep the plate in a fixed reference position during a first fitting step; the tongues are breakable to enable changing the position of the striker device with respect to the wall of the motor vehicle in a possible second fitting step.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A striker device for a motor vehicle door lock, the device comprising:
 a striker for a door lock, the striker having a pair of first holes; and 
 an element comprising:
 a) a plate suitable for being placed against a wall of the motor vehicle and having a pair of second holes respectively coaxial with said first holes; 
 b) attachment means for coupling said plate to said striker in a fixed relative position; 
 c) a plurality of tongues, which protrude from said plate in the opposite direction to said striker so as to engage, in use, at least one aperture in said wall; 
 
 wherein said tongues are arranged in positions so as to engage, in use, the edges of said aperture and keep said plate in a fixed reference position, and wherein said tongues are breakable with respect to said plate to change, if necessary, the position of the striker device with respect to said wall. 
 
     
     
       2. A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said striker comprises a base resting on said plate; and in that said element comprises a projection that protrudes from an external edge of said plate and is arranged around at least part of said base. 
     
     
       3. A device according to  claim 2 , wherein said plate and said projection define a seat, which is engaged by said base, substantially without play parallel to said plate. 
     
     
       4. A device according to  claim 2 , wherein said attachment means comprise at least one tooth that projects from said projection and is snap-fitted to said base. 
     
     
       5. A device according to  claim 1 , wherein said tongues are flat and parallel to two transversal ideal planes. 
     
     
       6. A device according to  claim 5 , wherein said tongues are four in number and are defined by:
 two vertical tongues horizontally separated from each other and arranged on opposite sides of said second holes; 
 two substantially horizontal tongues vertically separated from each other and arranged on opposite sides of at least one of said second holes. 
 
     
     
       7. A device according to  claim 6 , wherein said vertical tongues are vertically staggered from each other. 
     
     
       8. A motor vehicle comprising:
 a wall having at least one aperture; 
 a striker device placed on a front surface of said wall and made according to  claim 1 ; 
 female thread means arranged behind said wall; 
 two screws, which engage said first and second holes, engage said aperture with radial play, and are screwed into said female thread means; 
 said female thread means being able to float when said screws are loosened. 
 
     
     
       9. A motor vehicle according to  claim 8 , wherein said radial play is in all directions. 
     
     
       10. A motor vehicle according to  claim 9 , wherein the edges of said apertures comprise straight sides, which can guide some of said tongues along a direction when the remainder has/have been broken. 
     
     
       11. An assembly method for fitting a striker device made according to  claim 1  on a wall having at least one aperture, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing the striker device in a fixed reference position by inserting said tongues in said aperture, in contact with the edges of said aperture; 
 fastening said striker device to said wall, by inserting two screws through said striker device and said aperture, and tightening said screws in floating female screw means arranged behind said wall; 
 performing a functional test on the locking of a door lock; if the functional test fails, adjusting the position of said striker device by carrying out the following operations: 
 a) loosening said screws; 
 b) breaking at least one of said tongues; 
 c) moving said striker device; 
 d) tightening said screws again; 
 e) repeating the functional test.